In the production of many metals in rod form, for example, it is commonplace to provide batch supplies of anode plates from a melting furnace by casting. The anode plates after casting from the furnace and after being cooled are used in an electrochemical deposition process in which the anode plates are suspended in a chemical solution and metallic ions are caused to dissolve and be redeposited onto a cathode plate.
More specifically, copper scrap is melted in a large furnace after which the furnace discharges the molten metal into anode plate molds supported on a rotating carriage. At a pickup position opposite to a pour point, a device pushes upwardly and a transfer device engages lugs extending in opposite directions from side edges of the anode plate in the pickup position. The transfer device moves each newly cast anode plate from the carriage to a conveyor for immersion in a cooling bath.
Subsequently, in plating tanks, the anode plates and a plurality of cathode plates are suspended in baths of sulphuric acid which is then subjected to a relatively high current. This causes copper from the anode plates to deposit onto cathode plates. Impurities in the copper in the anode plates are removed in the plating tanks so that the copper which is plated onto the cathode plates has a very high degree of purity.
Various arrangements have been implemented for transferring anode plates from a casting apparatus to a cooling bath. For example, as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,715,048, it is known to use a carriage which moves along rails. The carriage is provided with grippers which grip lugs of anode plates. Such an arrangement which is linearly moving with gripping members is expensive and consumes an undesirably large amount of space.
Another typical transfer mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,938,672. In it, a transfer arm operates back and forth between a pickup position and a dropoff position. At the pickup point, grippers on ends of rotatably movable arms are caused to be moved toward each other to engage lugs extending in opposite directions from the anode plate to be transferred. After each anode plate has been transferred to a cooling bath, the grippers are caused to be moved outwardly from the anode plate to release the plate and allow it to be supported by rails or the like adjacent to a cooling tank.
Transfer mechanisms such as the ones described hereinabove which currently are in use are somewhat complex and require what is perceived to be an undue amount of maintenance. For example, in one transfer device, eleven limit switches are needed to control the operation of a transfer device which is controlled to transfer anode plates from a casting apparatus to a cooling apparatus. In general, prior art devices for transferring anode plates from one station to another typically involve an undesirable number of moving parts, they are difficult to maintain and they wear too rapidly.
What is sought after and what does not appear to be available in the art is a transfer device which is relatively uncomplicated. The sought after device should be relatively easy to maintain. Further, such a device should be one which is usable to transfer articles such as anode plates in a variety of metalworking operations such as those relating to the manufacture of copper, zinc, nickel and cobalt, for example.